


Shed Your Shadow, Watch it Rise

by oceanicflights



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Clint Barton Made a Different Call, Clint isn't married, F/M, Natasha Romanov Needs a Hug, ill add more tags as this goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 09:15:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23349034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oceanicflights/pseuds/oceanicflights
Summary: Clint Barton was sent to kill the Black Widow, but when he comes face to face with her he makes a different call - he offers her SHIELD's protection.(Clint and Natasha will get together in this story, so it is a bit AU)
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov
Kudos: 16





	Shed Your Shadow, Watch it Rise

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don't know why I started this but here we are (thanks quarantine). This will turn into a clintasha story, heads up on that.

Clint had seen her file. He’d studied it until he nearly had the entire thing memorized, in fact. He knew his target was young - only 20 years old - yet seeing her in person she looked so much younger. Almost more...fragile. 

He also knew that ‘fragile’ was not a word that would ever accurately describe the Black Widow - she was anything but. Yet she didn’t seem like the total monster that the file SHIELD had given him made her out to be. 

The Natalia in the file he had been given wouldn’t stop to help an old homeless man. She wouldn’t help a lost child find his mother. She wouldn’t leave random, big tips for baristas and waiters. Yet the Natalia he had been watching for the past three weeks had done all of these things. For a bit he wondered if he was following the wrong person...and then he saw someone try to mug her. 

After giving a beggar a bit of cash, a man had followed her for a few blocks before trying to push her into an alleyway. In a matter of seconds Natalia had subdued the man, leaving him unconscious (not dead, Clint noted). So maybe this was the master assassin he was sent to take out, but he had yet to see her do any _real_ harm. Only defend herself against someone who had first tried to hurt her. 

That’s how he found himself in his current situation. Clint had an arrow pointed at her but couldn’t let the shot go. He was hesitating, something which he had very rarely done in the past. How could he so easily kill this girl? 

“Do it,” she whispered, “Go ahead. I won’t run.” Well, this was a first. His target was asking him to kill them? Not even trying to fight it? 

“No,” Clint responded, lowering his bow, “I’m not going to kill you.” 

“Your employers will be very upset with you.” Natalia responded, “I’m making it easy for you. I know you’ve been following me for weeks now and I’ve given you plenty of opportunities to take your shot. Do it.” 

“Why should I? Why make it so easy for me?” 

He saw a hint of sadness in her eyes, quickly masked again by her poker face. Her response was so quiet he almost didn’t catch it. “Because I’m too much of a coward to do it myself.” 

Clint’s heart almost sank, “You want to die?” 

“It’s either that or let my old company catch up to me. If they get a hold of me again...my fate will be much worse than an arrow.” 

“Come with me.” The archer was surprised at his own words, “SHIELD will protect you.” He wasn’t sure of this, in all honesty. But it was worth a shot. After all, he had been given a second chance. Why shouldn’t she get the same courtesy? 

Natalia let out a laugh, “They sent you to kill me, did they not? Why would they waste their time protecting me? I’m obviously a threat to them.” 

“So don’t be a threat anymore. Be an ally. I know you’re not a heartless monster, like you said I’ve been watching you for weeks. You deserve a second chance.” 

“How do you know it’s not all been an act?” 

“You just admitted to me that you weren’t going to fight death. You were giving away the last of what you had. You finally ran out of money, ran out of good deeds you could easily do. So you let me catch you so it would all finally be over. I’m offering a chance for you to start over. I suggest you take it.” 

The redhead was silent now. She stared at him for a second, almost like she was waiting for him to change his mind and raise the bow again. When he didn’t, she sighed. 

“Fine,” she said, “We’ll see what your boss thinks about you bringing in the person you were supposed to kill.” 

*** 

Extraction was going to be...interesting, to say the least. After Natalia had agreed to give SHIELD a chance, Clint had taken her back to the hotel where he had set up shop since arriving in the city they were currently in. The Russian had gone to clean up when Clint called Coulson. 

“Barton,” Coulson answered, “This better be good news.” 

“Extraction needed.” he said in response. 

“The Black Widow has been taken care of?” 

“You could say that.” 

“Why do I not like how that sounds?” his handler sighed. 

“Have some faith, Coulson.” 

“Extraction in five hours. Be ready.” with that, the other agent ended the phone call. Yeah, Clint was probably going to have some major explaining to do. After a few minutes had passed, Natalia walked out of the bathroom. 

“Think we could go get my bag from my hotel?” she asked, “As much as I like this outfit, I’d rather not have this be all my clothes.” 

Clint nodded, “Alright. We’ll be heading to the States in approximately five hours, by the way.” 

“Do your people know that it is a ‘we’ that they are picking up?” 

“Nope,” he answered honestly, “I like to keep Coulson on his toes. Surprise is the spice of life, or whatever it is people say.” 

The two headed out, walking towards the hotel where Natalia had been staying (it wasn’t far from Clint’s - he was, after all, keeping an eye on her). “How do I know that this Coulson won’t kill me the second he sees me?” she asked as they walked. 

“He won’t.” 

“How do I know that?” 

“You don’t. You just trust that he won’t.” 

“I don’t trust anyone.” 

“Well, it’s time to start.” 

*** 

“Agent Barton.” Coulson sounded both angry and exasperated as he saw the agent walk up to the jet with a redheaded woman, “What is this?” 

“Phil, meet Natalia Romanova. Otherwise known as the Black Widow.” Clint said, gesturing to the woman.

“I know who she is! You said she was taken care of! You were supposed to take her out, not bring her in!” 

“I offered her protection.” 

“You what?!” 

Clint shrugged, “I don’t think she deserves to die. She could be a good asset to SHIELD. She could also give us information on the Red Room and the KGB.” 

“Are you two going to continue talking like I’m not right here?” Natalia interjected. 

Coulson shot her a look, “Miss Romanova,” he said, “What exactly are you hoping to accomplish here? How did you manage to convince Agent Barton here too, to put it frankly, not kill you?” 

“I told him to shoot me. He didn’t. There was no convincing done on my end.” 

The man looked like he was about to have an aneurysm, “If she’s going to be going back to base, at least handcuff her. You’ve lost your damn mind, Clint.” 

Clint just grinned, “You act like you just realized this.” he laughed, turning to Natalia, “I do hate to admit it but he is right, though. I should restrain you so everybody doesn’t lose their shit when they see you.” 

Holding out her hands she replied, “Not like I don’t know how to get out of them anyways.” 

Coulson shook his head as they walked onto the jet, “Fury’s going to kill you, Barton.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! Feel free to reach out/find me on twitter @oceanicflights  
> Also, this was very quickly proof-read by myself so sorry for any mistakes there may have been


End file.
